ST. LOUIS, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) has announced that its wholly owned Arkansas subsidiary, Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions, has received Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its Health Insurance Marketplace Exchange plan, Ambetter of Arkansas. NCQA Health Plan Accreditation evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system – physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services – in order to continuously improve the quality of care and services provided to its members.

"NCQA Health Plan Accreditation evaluates the quality of healthcare that plans provide to their members," said John Ryan, President and CEO of Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions. "We are honored to receive accreditation from NCQA. To have our commitment to the highest quality of care for our members recognized by such an esteemed organization is a powerful affirmation."

"Our quality improvement processes do not stop with this certificate of Accreditation," said Rone Baldwin, Executive Vice President, Insurance Group at Centene. "Becoming accredited is a significant milestone in Arkansas Health & Wellness Solution's work to continually encourage and promote quality and performance improvement across services, especially those impacting the health of our members."

Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions, operating under the Celtic Insurance License, provides care coordination for more than 40,000 members in Arkansas. With a comprehensive provider network, Ambetter of Arkansas began serving members in the state's Health Insurance Marketplace Exchange program on January 1, 2014. The network currently includes 98 hospitals, over 3,000 primary care providers, 6,680 specialists, and 928 behavioral health providers.

"Health plans that step forward to participate in NCQA's Health Plan Accreditation program early on in their history are to be especially commended," said Margaret E. O'Kane, President, NCQA. "Our standards are rigorous, and by meeting them, Arkansas Health & Wellness Solutions has shown that it is well designed and serious about the quality of care it provides."

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

About Centene Corporation
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to government sponsored healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Many receive benefits provided under Medicaid, including the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as Aged, Blind or Disabled (ABD), Foster Care and Long Term Care (LTC), in addition to other state-sponsored/hybrid programs, and Medicare (Special Needs Plans). The Company operates local health plans and offers a range of health insurance solutions. It also contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide specialty services including behavioral health, care management software, correctional systems healthcare, in-home health services, life and health management, managed vision, pharmacy benefits management, specialty pharmacy and telehealth services.

Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors.

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SOURCE Centene Corporation